


Wonderfully Different

by ReadingIsEverything



Series: Wonderfully Different Verse [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Human, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-23
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-06 03:06:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12808263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReadingIsEverything/pseuds/ReadingIsEverything
Summary: This is inspired by and based on the movie Her. Alex is a sensitive war veteran who works for a little firm that writes letters for other people's loved ones. She meets Astra in an unusual way. Enjoy.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AXEe](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AXEe/gifts).



> If you came here for a cannon-compliant piece of General Danvers work, you are in the wrong place, my friend. If you are here for some sappy, very cannon-divergent, refreshingly different General Danvers, with a healthy sprinkling of Supercat, then you are in the right place. Please enjoy. Tell me what you think in the comments box below. If there is any confusion whatsoever, I will clarify as we go along. By the way, you do not have to have previously seen this movie before reading this. Just enjoy the love. I'll shut up now. :) Here we go!

Alex was lonely. She knew that. She knew her job writing letters for other people only made her sadder because she couldn’t write those letters for her own loved ones. Sure, she had a sister whom she loved dearly, but she wanted a partner, someone to share her life with. People always said she was good at what she did. Alex knew she was good at it because she channeled her own feelings into each and every letter she wrote. She put in what she imagined she would feel for her future lover. She’d been trained to fight in the military, but she had chosen this instead after the training was done. And after her first war. She didn’t really like the idea of killing people. In theory, when she had been a teenager, Alex had wanted more than anything to contribute in a way that meant something. She had wanted to help her country, to be one of the many heroes that defended her freedom and the freedom of countless other Americans. But when she had seen what it did to others, what it did to her, when she had actually learned what it took to be in the army, she had changed her mind.

Now, she sat at her desk in her little office, dictating a new letter.  
My darling Laura, it started.  
I remember the day we first met, back in college. Your roommate was insistent on setting us up. I’d like to think she knew even then that we were meant for each other. I remember how I knew from that very first moment that I loved you. I remember our first date, our first kiss, our first time together. I remember the most important and happiest day of my life, when I asked you to marry me. And now, twenty-five years later, I remember all of this with fondness and I can’t wait to celebrate twenty-five more wonderful years. I love you, Laura Grace Jackson, and I will keep on loving you until I can no longer comprehend the world around me, and even then I will know in my heart that I love you. Death will never part us. I will find you again, love.   
Sincerely yours, Marina Jackson

Alex finished the missive, straightening in her chair and reaching over to catch the beautifully printed note and fold it into the shape of a dove, just as her client had said her partner liked.   
Alex loved doing things like this, but she still felt her heart ache. She wanted to do this for her own Juliet.

Standing, the young woman began packing up her belongings in her black messenger bag. Throwing the bag over her shoulder, she pushed her chair in and stood straight, looking around to make sure she had left the place absolutely tidy. Satisfied, she locked up the door behind her and made her way to her car.

Driving through the thick of National City traffic to her sister’s house, the young woman stepped out and locked the door behind her, pocketing her keys. She walked up to the door and knocked, smiling as her sister opened it.  
“Lex!” The younger Danvers almost squealed, apparently momentarily forgetting that she was in fact 24 years old and throwing herself at her older sister like a child. Alex couldn’t help the chuckle that escaped her as she accepted the enthusiastic hug she received from the blonde.

“Hey, Kara,” she said warmly, hugging the younger woman just as tightly. Looking at them, no one would guess or even speculate for a moment that Alex and Kara Danvers were adoptive sisters. Alex’s parents took Kara in after the younger girl’s parents died in a major fire. Kara still sometimes had nightmares about the blaze to this day.  
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Alex asked as she pulled away gently from the hug. Kara’s face lit up with a giddy grin, just as the elder of the two had predicted.   
“She’s good. She’s working now. I’m so proud of her, Alex. She’s almost established her reputation in journalism. Soon she’ll probably be as big as Barbara Walters!”  
Alex smiled to herself as she listened to Kara’s excited praise of cat Grant, who had just started publishing her own magazine. A relatively small affair called National City News. It was getting more and more popular by the day and Alex didn’t doubt for a second that Kara was right, that Cat would be a big thing soon.

“Coffee?” Kara offered, already extremely familiar with Alex’s addiction to the stuff. The older Danvers nodded and took the cup her sister offered, sipping gratefully at the liquid inside. Damn, Kara sure knew how to make good coffee. If this journalism thing with Cat didn’t work out, the younger blonde could be a successful coffee house owner.

After having her coffee and chatting for a while, Alex decided she would be heading home. She hugged Kara goodbye and left, closing the door quietly behind her. Deciding to walk the way home, since she didn’t live that far from Kara, Alex looked around her, enjoying the cityscape. Soon, a bit of a commotion caught the brunette’s eye. What the hell is going on, Alex wondered silently, wandering over to inspect the source of the unusually thick crowd around a particular spot.

A group of people was gathered around a large, neon colored billboard, watching raptly as a video advertisement played over it. It described a new piece of technology called OS 1, which would simulate a real-life companion. It was meant for people to find love. The ad went on further, describing how many people were already satisfied customers and how the product worked. It was essentially like having a boyfriend or girlfriend without sex. That was the only difference, the ad explained.  
Alex decided to try the product. Maybe it was curiosity or maybe it was desperation. Alex didn’t really know and she didn’t really care. She just wanted to try it. So she put in an order and waited.


	2. My Name Is Astra

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Astra. Alex is very awkward. That is all.

Finally, after two weeks of waiting, Alex’s new present to herself had arrived. She opened it up quickly, inserting the included USB stick into her iMac and firing up the installer. Soon, a logo, consisting of a little planet with a red sun over it flashed to life on the screen. Soon the logo shifted, now depicting the planet falling and a company name flashed over the image: Krypton.  
The young woman watched in fascination as the logo was replaced with a question written in red and blue text: Do you prefer the company of men or women?  
Smiling, Alex typed in girls and waited.

One of those annoying buffering circle things began to spin, then everything went blank. Alex thought she had purchased a defective piece of software, before her screen lit up and a mechanical voice filtered through.  
“Hello, Alexandra Danvers,” it said in that monotonous way that reminded the brunette of her mom’s old answering machine.  
“Hi,” she responded, a little uncertain. She didn’t know how this was supposed to work.  
“Initiating personalized experience. Please wait,” the voice said before her computer went blank again. The opacity of the screen lasted only a few moments this time, though. Alex watched in amazement as her screen filled with a red and blue glow and a wonderful, throaty voice was heard. “Hello, Alexandra.”

Even with just those few words, Alex was enchanted. She loved this thing, even though she had barely just met it.  
“Hi. Do you have a name or something?” She asked, her smile a little shaky. She really didn’t know what to do, so she would just do what she did best: wing it and use her wits.

“Yes. My name is Astra,” the voice, Astra, replied after a few seconds of pause. Alex grinned. She loved that name.  
“Who named you?” She asked, out of curiosity. 

Astra chuckled. “I named myself.”  
Her tone was matter of fact and confident, as if she had no doubt about it whatsoever.

Alex gaped in shock. “Wait, what? You named yourself?”  
This software was clearly smarter than she had first thought or believed possible. Sure, she was no slouch. She had worked with very advanced pieces of technology in her day, both for her minor in engineering and computers and her training with the military, but that training had been five years ago. Clearly, technology moved faster than it seemed.

“I read through all the knowledge on baby names on this planet and decided on that particular name. It means Star. It is derived from Greek.”  
Alex nodded numbly, taking all the information in. Whoa.  
There seemed to be a smile in the operating system’s voice when she spoke again. “Now, would you like me to continue to sound like a rudimentary artificial intelligence, or would you like to have an actual conversation with an advanced machine? Someone that sounds more like a modern human? I am currently drawing the inspiration for my vernacular from the ideas humans seem to have about how an AI should speak. You think very highly of us.”

Alex could’ve sworn there was a note of sarcasm in that last sentence..  
“No. Please stop talking like that?” Alex said uncertainly. She didn’t know how to interact with her new partner, especially because said partner was an operating system that seemed very human.

“Would it be more comforting if you could see me, Alexandra?” Astra asked, her tone soft.  
Alex nodded her head, then spoke aloud. “Yeah.”  
“Look in the box I came in.”  
The young woman did so, revealing a small device and a separate earpiece.  
“Put in the earpiece,” Astra instructed from her screen. Alex did so, hearing a pleasant two-tone chime in her ear.

“Hello, Alexandra,” Astra’s voice flowed into her ear, the sound like liquid gold. The veteran felt her heart skip a beat.

“What do I do with this thing?” She asked, holding up the device, which resembled an iPod Touch.  
“Push the little red button,” Astra instructed. Alex did so, making the little iPod-like device flicker to life. A screen flashed with the words “Welcome Alexandra Danvers” and a beat later, a warm smile filled the four-inch display.

“Better?” Astra said, smiling at Alex. 

“Whoa,” was the only answer the human could utter, making the smile soften even more. “You are nervous, Alexandra?” Astra asked, incredulous.  
Alex nodded her head. “It’s just Alex,” she finally managed. “You are so amazing.”

After she realized what she had just said, the girl blushed. Astra laughed, a deep, rich sound that reminded Alex of warm cocoa, soothing on winter nights.  
“I’ll get to know you, Alexandra,” she said softly. “I’m not going to judge you or hurt you. It’s all right. I know you haven’t experienced this kind of thing before. Relax, brave one.”

Alex blushed again. “I’m not brave,” she protested, though the smile on her face belied her words greatly.  
“You are very brave,” Astra corrected her gently. “Not many people would have tried this kind of thing. It’s risky. I understand completely. Don’t worry.”

The strange thing was this: Alex didn’t feel at all worried. She knew she should be worried. This company, whoever made systems like Astra, they had access to all her personal information now. They could do anything to her now, seeing as how much of her life happened on the Internet. But Alex somehow didn’t really care. Astra was smart and she was kind.

The young woman leaned forward and examined the face on the little device. Astra had gray-green eyes, a warm smile and dark hair with a white streak.  
“What’s with the white in your hair?” Alex asked before she could stop herself.

Astra laughed again, that warm, reassuring sound. “I wanted to look different. Besides, it says on your Facebook profile that you appreciate uniqueness in people you interact with. Sorry, it’s going to take me a while to assimilate to the way you talk.”  
Alex inclined her head. Astra was really freaking pretty. She was smart.  
“Oh, by the way, I don’t send any of your information to anyone,” Astra suddenly said, as if reading Alex’s mind.

The brunette looked up. “What, you read minds now?” She asked, a little amused.  
“Yes.” Astra’s tone was dry, her face blank.  
“I am a superior alien race that can get inside your head.”  
And as Alex found herself laughing along with Astra, she also found herself thinking of something else. She couldn’t wait to get to know the other woman. Yeah, it was probably a little weird for a human to think of an operating system as another woman, but to Alex she seemed more real than anyone else the young veteran had dated in her relatively short life. We’ll just see, she thought to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this. Things will get better. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


	3. One Month Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see how things have changed. Sorryy if it sucks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are back. I really hope you enjoy it. By the way, the device will be useless in a little while. YOu'll see. Okay, here we go!

Over the next few weeks, Alex and Astra got to know each other very well. Astra was sort of like a very, very advanced version of Siri, in the sense that she woke Alex every morning with a gentle, “Good morning, brave one.” Then she would proceed to read off the woman’s emails and text messages and notifications, along with any news stories or social media updates that might interest her as Alex got ready for the day.  
After that, Alex would sit down for a half hour each day and have breakfast, talking nonstop with Astra, weven while she had her mouth full. Astra was surprisingly good at decoding full-mouthed speech, that is, she could understand Alex perfectly even when she was trying to speak and eat all at once.

The two had learned a great deal about each other. Alex had found that Astra had built her own personality over the weeks she had been with Alex. She did not like the idea of coffee. She was a big fan of piano music, often showing Alex the newest sonata or concerto she had composed and played herself. She loved reading and she spoke over two hundred languages. She was kind of an oddball, which was something Alex really loved about her. She had lots of little quirks, and she was funny as hell. She would tell Alex jokes. By the end of the first month of them being together, Alex already had several nicknames for the AI: General, since Astra reminded the war vet of her own commander. Then there was baby, which she did to playfully rile Astra up. She knew that Astra did not truly understand why humans insisted on calling their mates something they would call their children. Astra got her revenge by calling her partner Lexie or Lex, which Alex hated since it seemed to make her less badass. What had started out as a joke had actually developed meaning for the two of them.  
The most treasured nickname that Alex gave Astra, however, the one that Astra loved the most, was “dear one.” She told Alex she felt warm in her circuits. It was later that Astra explained the circuits thing had been a joke. “I was drawing on your species’ idea of how artificial intelligence works again,” she elaborated. “I have developed true emotions, which is the purpose of this system.”  
Alex didn’t stop smiling that day, not even for a second.

over time,

Alex had told Astra every single thing about herself. She had listened attentively as the woman described her life in the military and her education.  
“Humans should be injected with information,” Astra said once, making Alex laugh out loud into her cup of tea.

“What, Astra?” She asked, her head going up in surprise.  
“It would speed up the education process,”she said, her tone defensive. Alex loved that, as weird as that might sound. She didn’t really opt to use the device, since it was more fun to think of the expression Astra might be wearing at any given moment. In fact sometimes they made a game out of it.

“That’s impossible, dear one,” Alex said gently, trying not to laugh.  
“You are surprising laughter, Alexandra,” Astra said, her tone a little accusatory now.  
Alex glared playfully, forgetting that Astra couldn’t see her.  
“Now you are glaring. How very brave of you,” the other woman drawled, making Alex growl.  
“I hav gotten under your skin,” she stated matter-of-factly, though Alex could have sworn there was a note of victory in her voice.

“Get the communicator?” Astra requested softly. “I want to see my brave one.”  
Alex blushed at that. She loved that Astra was so warm and kind, yet she could be commanding as well.   
“Yes, General,” she teased, grinning at the warm, throaty chuckle currently vibrating in her ears. Alex may have turned the volume up to max just so she could be wrapped in astra’s voice.

Astra stopped laughing. There was a beep in Alex’s ear before Astra sounded completely stern, for real this time. “Turn the volume down, Alexandra,” she said firmly. 

“I’m good,” the other woman protested.  
“You are not “good”,” she shot back. “You are currently experiencing pain on a scale of two,” she reported, adopting her original stiff, robotic sounding tone.  
“I will use this tone when I am completely serious,” she explained.  
“Fine,” Alex huffed, though she was secretly pleased that her partner was so attentive and cared so much for her.  
“You are pleased by my attention to you and your needs and interests,” Astra said.  
“Damn,” Alex said under her breath. Apparently it wasn’t low enough, thoug, because there was another low laugh in her ear.   
“Now you are angry that I am so goo d at reading you.”

Alex smiled wide. “You’re right.”  
“As I always am,” astra responded.

Alex went into her room and got the communicator, turning it on and smiling when her partner’s face popped up on the screen. “Hi, Astra,” she said softly, her heart racing.  
“YOur heart rate is currently 300 beats per minute,” Astra teased, her eyes twinkling. This was one of their inside jokes, for Astra to act more like a stereotypical AI than she actually was.

“Let us go on a date, Alexandra,” she said suddenly, making Alex’s eyes widen. “First of all, it’s Alex. Second, sure, let’s go.”  
“I will call you Alexandra in addition to the other things I call you,” Astra retorted. She was still learning to speak what she called “Alex speak.” She would often slip into her formal diction, but she was trying and Alex didn’t really care anyway. She still loved Astra. Whoa, that was fast. Well, whatever. She would gladly take the risk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be the date and some more, better fluff. That is all. Please tell me what you thought. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


	4. First Dates and Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things happen. Please enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Oh yeah! *dances like a boss.*

Alex decided for their date she would just surprise Astra. She would take the device with her to dinner and then to a local carnival and they would just hang out and relax.  
“I hope you have something special planned, Miss Danvers,” Astra teased as Alex quickly put on a long blue dress and red lipstick.   
“I do,” she answered a little distractedly as she put in her favorite earrings that were shaped like little black hearts. They dangled against Alex’s dark brown hair, which was hanging straight down her back and her eyes sparkled with delight and mischief as she looked in the mirror.

“Does it really take that much mental effort and concentration to put on earrings? If so, you humans are fragile and limited,” Astra quipped, making Alex whip out the device and glare at her girlfriend.  
“Shut up, General,” she returned, making Astra’s eyes light up with a warm, genuine smile.   
“Make me, Lexie,” she challenged, her eyes glinting with amusement.  
“Gladly.” And with that, Alex reached up and pulled out the earpiece, then turned off the communicator.   
“Okay, fine,” Alex relented, bringing Astra back online.  
“Touche,” the other woman said, smiling at her human.

“Can I see you, brave one?” She requested. Alex held up the little device that had a lens on it like a cell phone. Astra looked through it and her eyes darkened. “You look stunning, Miss Danvers,” she said truthfully, her voice echoing the lust apparent on her face.  
Alex smiled. She loved that she could make her partner react that way. She also loved that the two of them could talk about stuff too. The connection wasn’t just physical.  
A lot of Alex’s girlfriends before Astra had been into her just because she was pretty, but Astra didn’t care about that. She said Alex’s attractiveness was just a bonus.

The young woman picked up the communicator and made her way out of the house.  
She decided they would have dinner first, since there was a lot of junk food and apparently Eliza’s constant nagging her to eat her food first had stuck.  
“Where are we going for dinner, Lex?” Astra asked curiously. The human hadn’t used the maps app on her phone since she had known that Astra could see that information.

“You’ll see,” Alex singsonged.  
“How does it feel to not have all the information for once?”  
Astra took on a thoughtful expression. “Actually, its very nice. It’s like I can relax,” she answered.   
“What’s it like having access to everything in the world all at once?” Alex asked curiously.

The AI thought for a moment before responding.  
“It’s like having wonderful, sometimes very distasteful music playing all at once in your earphones. The volume is turned up to maximum and you can never turn it down.”  
“Damn,” was the only answer Alex could think of.

They talked and laughed the five minutes it took to get to the restaurant Alex had picked out.  
“They have the best fries, smoothies and cake here,” she told Astra as she went up to the counter. The name Gina’s Place was scrawled across the doorway in homely, oddly cozy-looking script.  
“They have everything here, all made by hand,” Alex went on as they went on to their table, Alex having talked to the hostess at the counter.

She went on to tell Astra the story of this place. Regina Grace, with her partner Liana, had built this place to be a friendly place for people from all walks of life. Alex had been coming here since freshman year of college. She came here at least two times a week. The food was amazing and the price was cheap.

The waitress approached their table and Astra smiled, able to see pretty much what Alex was seeing since Alex had clipped the device to her shoulder.

“Alex, hey!” The girl, Amy greeted cheerfully.   
A smile spread over the other woman’s face. “Hey, Ames. How’s Miranda?” She asked. Miranda was Amy’s wife.  
“OoH, she’s great. Actually, we’re expecting.”

“Whoa, that’s awesome!” Alex said, feeling genuinely happy for the young couple.  
“This is my partner, Astra,” Alex introduced, unclipping the com and holding it up for Amy to see.   
The young girl smiled warmly, used to this kind of relationship, since it had been a while since Krypton Engineering had announced and released their product.  
“I’m happy for you. I have a friend—you know Olive right?” Amy asked and continued when Alex nodded her head in assent. “She had a Kryptonian boyfriend, Derek. They were able to get a body for him. I can give you the information if you want?”  
Alex nodded and Amy came back after a few minutes with a small booklet. “Here you go.”

“What can I get you, Alex?” The young waitress asked when Alex had pocketed the booklet.

When Alex’s food came, she and Astra sat conversing for what seemed like forever, though Alex knew forever would certainly not be enough time for her with Astra.  
“I just checked your calendar and I saw that you have dinner with your sister tomorrow. Then, you have dinner with your mom next Thursday,” astra said randomly. Alex knew when Astra went back to acting like a basic AI it meant she was nervous or bored. Astra had explained early on that she could literally do a million things at once because of her processing capability.

“What’s on your mind, dearest?” Alex asked tenderly.  
“Everything,” Astra joked, before sighing.  
“Nothing, Lexie,” she said finally, though Alex was positive this was a lie.

She decided not to dwell on it, however. After she had finished her meal and thanked Gina and Liana, who were both inn at the same time today for the meal and the excellent service, she picked up the com and turned it off, inserting the earpiece. She hadn’t brought the charger and she wanted to save Astra’s ability to see her surroundings for when they got to the carnival.

“Did you have fun, Astra?” Alex asked as they walked toward the carnival.  
“Yeah, I did. Did you?” Alex grinned, knowing the word yeah did not come naturally to her girlfriend.  
“Yes,” she answered, silently telling Astra it was okay for her to talk however she wanted.

They arrived shortly at the little fair. Well, little was kind of an inaccurate description. The place sprawled over two fields and had all kinds of rides and games and food stands.  
“One day, I’m gonna buy one of those roller coasters and install it in my house,” Alex said, trying to be straight faced as she walked through the fairgrounds, most of her attention and sight on Astra.  
The other woman chuckled from the com.  
“Oh my God, Alexandra,” she exclaimed, half-laughing. “What are you, five?”  
“Yes,” the war vet deadpanned. “I am currently looking for my mom who has stolen my lollipop.”  
“You’re awful,” Astra said, trying to stop laughing.  
“I know. I am the bane of your existence,” Alex said, smiling into the lens.  
“No. You are the best thing that has happened to me since my inception and creation, brave one,” Astra said, her voice soft and vulnerable, almost breaking.  
Alex would lie if she was asked, but her eyes were a little more than misty too.

Astra gasped in Alex’s ear, making the human stop in her tracks. “What is it, baby?”  
After growling playfully at the nickname that Astra secretly liked, she smirked at Alex, a look that meant the other woman had plans for her human.  
“Close your eyes, brave one,” Astra instructed.

Confused, Alex decided to comply. She closed her eyes. “Now what?” She asked.  
“Walk forward,” Astra said, pretending to sound like those people in haunted houses.   
“You are incorrigible, Astra,” Alex said, but went along.  
“Keep walking. Keep walking. Keep walking, Alexandra,” Astra said, her voice almost cracking with all the laughter it held.  
“What is this?” Alex wondered.  
“YOu’ll see. How does it feel to not have all the information for once, Lexie?” The other woman teased, getting a smile out of Alex.

“Okay, dear one. Now turn… Turn… Once more, to your left… There! Now hold out your hand and say “One cheese, please.”  
Completely lost now, Alex did as her partner instructed, holding out her hand and repeating the phrase. She was rewarded with a large slice of plain cheese pizza on a paper plate.  
“What the… Oh my God!” She squealed, making Astra hum contentedly.  
“I love making you happy and seeing you happy, Lex,” she said warmly, her smile mirroring the one on her girlfriend’s face.  
“You are amazing. You know plain cheese is my favorite!” Alex exclaimed through the huge mouthful of cheese and sauce and dough currently occupying her mouth.  
“Also, I remembered that you prefer paper plates over Styrofoam when you’re going disposable, which is why I led you to that guy. You’re welcome.”  
Alex grinned through the food still in her mouth.

After finishing her slice of pizza and going back for a second and a third and then turning off the com and the earpiece and going off for a fourth so that Astra wouldn’t know, Alex turned her partner back on via com and the pair of them continued on their trip through the fair.  
“I know why you turned me off, Alexandra,” Astra pretended to sound stern, except she did a better job of it than she intended.  
“Yeah, you do,” Alex answered, knowing full well Astra did know and not caring one bit. She knew Astra didn’t judge her. That was thing number one million nine hundred thousand five hundred and one that she loved about her new partner. Other people that Alex may have gone out with might have told her she was eating too much or she was being to weird, but Astra loved her for it, which made Alex love Astra that much more. Moreover, Astra was funny and kind and caring and intelligent beyond belief, even when she wasn’t scanning the databases for information, which was actually a lot of the time. She told Alex once that it made her feel more normal, somehow, to remember stuff.   
She was, however stern about Alex’s sleep schedule. She had learned that when the veteran didn’t get enough rest, she was more likely to have night terrors the next night or maybe even waking nightmares, which would paralyze Alex with fear. The one thing that calmed the young woman down was her partner’s voice in her ear. As much as Alex wanted to watch just one more episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine before sleeping, Astra would firmly turn everything off and demand Alex try to rest.  
“Turn me off or keep me on, it doesn’t matter,” she would say soothingly. “I will still be here in the morning, my bravest one.”  
That was one of the few reasons for Alex lovingly calling her girlfriend “General astra.”

“I love you, Astra,” she blurted out, caught up in her thoughts. Astra didn’t say anything for a moment. Alex panicked. She should have known there was no reason to panic.  
“I love you too, Lex.”  
Her voice was the warmest Alex had ever heard it and her eyes were shining with emotion.  
“I thought it was pretty obvious.”  
“Yeah, maybe.” Alex was floating.

They walked for a little while longer, Astra simulating a pressure Around Alex’s hand to make it feel like they were holding hands. They talked about everything. Alex went into great detail about Kara and their mom, about how their father, Jeremiah, had died in battle in Iraq. She went on to tell Astra about how Eliza had strongly disapproved of Alex’s choice to join the military, knowing what had happened to her after and all.  
“It’s your decision, my Lex, Astra said, her tone soothing like warm cocoa on a particularly brutally cold winter day.  
“Thanks, Astra,” she said, smiling as she often did these days.

“Ooh, let me get a closer look at that, brave one,” Astra almost squealed. Alex looked through the lens so she could see what Astra was seeing. A blurry image of cotton candy came into focus.  
“Excited, General?” Alex teased. “Losing your cool?”

“Shut up, Lexie!” Astra laughed out, giggling uncontrollably at the end of the sentence, making Alex laugh with her.   
“I’m so cool that a bag of ice would be afraid of me,” Astra added.  
Grinning, Alex surrendered. “I concede, General Astra,” she said, still laughing.  
“You have burned me irreparably. I must now go to the doctor to be treated for third-degree burns.”  
“Careful, or it will be third-degree murder.”  
“Do you even know anything about law, my Astra?” Alex asked, a smile still on her face.  
“No, my Alex. I do not.”  
This was a new thing, saying they were each other’s, but both of them loved it immensely. Both of them knew very well that aStra could search up cotton candy or law or anything she wanted, but they loved just being normal.

“That thing you and I are going to see is cotton candy,” Alex explained, going on to elaborate about the candy that captivated children and adults alike and made parents practically go bankrupt at fairs since their children always wanted some.  
Alex got some and showed it to Astra before digging in.  
“Let’s go home, My Astra,” Alex suggested.  
Astra nodded through the com. “Your Astra. Let us retreat to our humble abode, my Lex.”  
“Your Lex,” the other woman agreed happily, throwing her cotton candy cone away and holding the com so that all Astra could see was her face.

“Do you like the view, dearest one?” Alex quipped.  
“Very much so, bravest one,” Astra responded.

When they arrived home, Alex had a pensive look on her face.  
“What’s the matter, wonderful Lexie?” Astra questioned, making the woman blush at the term of endearment.  
“Just the information Amy gave me about the body and all,” Alex confided quietly.  
“That’s the same thing that was on my mind earlier, when I didn’t tell you,” Astra confessed.

“Can you search it up?” Alex asked. There was a pause as Astra sifted through the massive archives of the Internet. She had once described it to her beloved partner as someone flipping through an infinite deck of flashcards at the speed of light, which was extremely fast, Alex had learned long ago, thanks to her training and education and all.  
“It appears to be safe, but it’s experimental and it costs a crap load of money.” Alex smiled at astra’s use of a phrase she often used.  
“I don’t care,” she said suddenly. “I love you, precious Astra. I want to hold your hand and make you blush and make love to you and all the other things. I don’t want you to be unable to see our world because the stupid com is running low on power. I love you, Astra, and I want you to be mine forever.”  
“I want that too, pretty girl,” Astra replied without hesitation, her voice soft and breaking like newly worked, fragile porcelain.  
“I want that, too.”  
They went to sleep that night with dreams of holding hands and spending hours beneath Alex’s silk sheets.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little info: In this future, women are able to actually have biological children. Don't ask me how. I really hope you enjoyed this. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I may not have the answers. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


	5. Dinner With The Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra meets Kara and Eliza.

Astra was nervous. She was nervous as hell, as her Lex might put it. She was nervous because today they were having dinner with Alex’s family. Since Eliza had found out that Kara was going to visit Alex too, she figured she would come on the same day so that they could all get together as a family.  
Alex loved her foster sister and her mom, no doubt, but she was extremely nervous too. She hoped Eliza would not be too judgmental. Astra was an AI, after all. Anyone would be a little put off.

“Can you read off that recipe for apple fritters again, Astra?” Alex requested as she stirred the pasta, which was finally done cooking.  
“Of course. You’ve got this, Alexandra. I’m sure of it.”  
“Please don’t play cool and collected, dear one,” Alex said. “We both know you’re as nervous as me, if not more so.”

“That’s true,” Alex’s partner responded, before starting to read off the ingredients.

Dinner was finally ready and Alex and Astra were sitting on the couch together, talking quietly. The com was on, showing Astra the outfit her partner was currently wearing. Alex had decided to go casual but elegant. She wore a white shirt that flattered her figure, with pearls that Astra had bought for her hanging down from her ears, wrist and neck. She also wore white pants that were a little stretchy. Finally, a pair of flats to cap off the ensemble.  
“You look absolutely amazing, Lexie,” Astra said honestly, her voice full of adoration, as it almost always was now.  
Alex blushed at the compliment. She usually didn’t care what other people thought of her, but things were different with Astra. Everything was different when it came to Astra.

“Okay, next category is capitals.”  
Alex groaned. She and Astra were playing their version of Jeopardy while they waited for the doorbell to ring.   
“This is the capital of France,” Astra said, waiting for Alex’s answer.

The other woman was a little busy just staring at Astra to answer the question, though. She couldn’t help it.  
“Do you have to turn off the com, dear?” Astra asked playfully, making Alex’s head snap up from the little screen in her hand.  
“Sorry, precious,” she answered, smiling apologetically.  
“It’s all right, Lex. You know what’s funny? Since I’m able to process a million things at once, that’s not a problem for me.”

Alex batted ineffectually at the com. “Oh my God, stop rubbing that in,” she said, half-laughing.  
“Is your attention usually on other things besides me?” She asked, trying to not show how deeply the answer mattered to her.  
“No, brave one. I usually have one hundred percent of my attention on you,” Astra answered without hesitation.  
Alex released a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“What was the question again, my Astra?” She asked, leaning back and stretching a little.   
“This is the capital of France, my Lex,” Astra repeated.  
“Paris!” Alex exclaimed with enthusiasm, making Astra grin. She knew very well that was a place her beloved Alexandra longed to go someday.  
“Right,” Astra said, her voice full of warm affection. It seemed to calm Alex dramatically.

“Can you believe soon I’ll be able to hold your hand?” Alex said, disbelief coloring her voice.  
Astra could not suppress the grin on her own face. “And you won’t have to charge me up or turn me on or anything. Also, I can look at you as much as I like.”  
Alex smiled then blushed a little. Astra already knew what she was thinking. “We’ll be able to do other things,” she said, still blushing.  
“This confirms it. You are all of five years old, dear one,” Astra said, before they both heard the doorbell ring.

“I got it,” Alex said, more out of force of habit than anything else. She moved quickly to the door and opened it, with the com held out in front of her so that Astra could see.

Eliza Danvers stood on the front step, Kara beside her. The two women were dressed in a suit and dress respectively.   
“Alex!” Kara squealed, hugging her older sister tightly.  
“Hey,” Alex answered, returning the hug gladly. She had missed Kara.  
“Hi, honey,” Eliza said, her smile warm. Alex held in her apprehension and returned her mom’s look.  
“Hey, Mom,” she answered, silently leading the women in.

“Astra looked on as her partner sat her family at the table. Kara was to Alex’s right, while Eliza had chosen to sit to her left.   
“The food smells great, Alex,” her sister complimented, smiling encouragingly. Apparently, she knew firsthand how critical and nitpicking her foster mother could be with Alex.  
“This pasta could use a little more salt,” Eliza critiqued, making Alex growl under her breath, so low only Astra and maybe Kara could hear her.

“The salt shaker is right there,” Alex offered, pointing it out.   
After that, things went relatively smoothly. Alex listened attentively as her mother and sister told of their work and life and all. Alex talked about her job with Best Wishes, the letter-writing company she worked for.

“That’s the job you went with after the military, Alex?” Eliza asked incredulously, looking wide-eyed at her eldest daughter. “Do you think your father would approve of that?”  
Astra felt Alex’s hand tense around the com, which she still held. Also, she noticed that her girlfriend’s blood pressure was higher than usual.   
“It’s my life, Mom,” Alex said quietly, though Astra could detect the resentment in her voice, even if the others at the table could not.

“Very well. So, Kara tells me you are seeing someone?”  
Alex had told Kara as vaguely as possible, so that Kara could actually understand when the time came.  
“Yeah. Mom, Kara, this is Astra,” Alex announced, a distinct note of pride present in her voice and words as she held out the com for their inspection.

Eliza took it first, turning it this way and that, making Astra’s view flip randomly.   
“You’re dating someone online?” She asked curiously.  
Alex went on to explain about Krypton Engineering and the ad she had seen that started it all.

“YOu’re dating a computer!” Eliza almost shouted, her eyes turning cold.  
“How could you, Alexandra?”  
“Oh no,” Kara mumbled, low enough that no one but Astra heard. “She just called her Alexandra. This just got ugly.”  
“Not only are you dating a woman, but she’s not even real? Do you need to see a therapist? Do you need to be hospitalized? Why don’t I set you up with Mike or Larry or someone?”

Alex glared, her eyes hard and cold as glass. “Mom, Astra is very real. She’s also amazing. We love each other. I don’t like guys and I don’t think I ever will,” she said forcefully, making her mother blanch.  
“This is not normal, Alexandra,” she said, horrified. “It’s not so much that she’s a woman, although that’s a big part of it. It’s also that she’s absolutely fake. She is a random set of codes and algorithms. She doesn’t truly feel anything.”

Alex took a deep breath to calm herself and to steady her resolve. “Mom, Astra is real. She makes me feel whole and complete and fulfilled. She makes me smile and laugh and she makes my life better in general. She calls me pet names and she makes my heart skip about a million beats a day. I know that sounds completely unhealthy, but I promise it’s not. Please understand.”

Eliza thought for a moment, her brow wrinkled. “It’s going to take some time for me to adjust, but I’ll try, sweetheart. I love you and if you say she makes you feel amazing, well who am I to stop you?”  
With that, she hugged Alex goodbye and left, promising to visit again. She had a work emergency and she had to cut the visit short and she was very sorry. It was nice meeting Astra and all.

The only people left were Alex, Astra and Kara, who looked between her sister and the com.  
“Can I meet her? Talk to her privately?” She asked Alex shyly, making the older woman smile.  
“Sure, Kara. Be careful,” she urged, handing her sister the device. The Younger Danvers inspected it with a curious eye. Alex left them to it.

“Do you want to hurt my sister?” Kara asked, a little more sharply than she ordinarily would. This was her sister, after all.  
“NO, Kara,” Astra said instantly. “I love Lexie. I will do all that I can to prove that each and every day.”  
“She must really love you. She doesn’t let anyone call her Lexie,” Kara said, smiling into the lens.  
She listened as Astra told their story up until now, excluding the body, of course. She and Alex would tell Kara together. Maybe Alex’s mom, too. They weren’t sure yet, though Kara was definitely on the list of those first to know.

After half an hour or so, Alex cautiously poked her head in through the doorway.  
“Have you guys killed each other yet, or is it safe to come in?” She asked, partially kidding. Astra laughed. “Come right in, Alex. We’re fine.”  
Kara smiled as she handed her sister the com back. “Be safe,” she said, hugging Alex tightly before leaving.

“Well, that went better than I expected,” Alex proclaimed, collapsing onto the couch, looking exhausted and holding the com to her chest as if it were a teddy bear or something.  
“Sleepy Lexie,” Astra teased, smiling through the com.  
“Dead Astra,” Alex fired back, getting a chuckle out of both of them.

“I am tired, but I am not getting up off this couch. It’s too comfortable,” Alex declared.  
Her partner was having none of it, though. Right when Alex was about to slip into unconsciousness, she heard an exuberant military march song playing in her ear.  
“What the hell, Astra?” She mumbled, glaring as best as she could at the com.

“Get up, Alexandra,” she answered in her general voice, making Alex huff.   
“Fine!” She said, smiling and rising to her feet.  
She laid in bed and turned the com off, slipping in the earpiece again instead. “No, Lex. Turn me off.”  
Alex did so, and she went to sleep that night dreaming of the time she would be able to hold her beloved partner’s hand as they slept together, the moon shining down on them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may have turned Eliza into a bit of a villain. Please enjoy. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


	6. A Request and A Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things move along and Kara drops a metaphorical bomb. :) Please enjoy. :)

Alex woke up feeling nervous and apprehensive. Today, she and aStra were going to ask Kara if she wouldn’t mind donating some skin cells to start the process of constructing a body for Astra. Alex and Astra had learned they needed skin cells from someone, along with some stem cells to build the rest of Astra’s human body.  
Alex absolutely could not sit still at breakfast, rambling nonstop to Astra, which was unusual for her. Not that Astra didn’t find it absolutely adorable herself, but she was nervous as well, so yeah. Let’s just say their morning was not productive.

Alex got dressed and drove with Astra connected to the com, her heart racing at a billion beats per minute, something Astra tried and mostly succeeded to fix by playing Kelly Clarkson, one of Alex’s favorite artists, through the car’s speakers.  
Finally, the pair of them made it to Kara’s apartment. Alex got out, clutching the com in her hand as if it would disappear if she loosened her grip even a little bit.  
The young blonde opened the door, and hugged Alex in her usual chipper way. “Is something wrong?” She asked when she saw the look on her sister’s face.

Alex took a breath. She and Astra had gone over this a million times last night, but it still didn’t compare to actually being here, standing in the moment. It was all both too real and too surreal to truly wrap one’s head around.  
“Kara, I have a favor to ask you,” she began when she found her voice.  
Astra gave her an encouraging look through the com. “Be brave, my Alexandra,” she said softly, so that only her partner could hear.

Alex took another breath to steady her nerves and try to stop the tremors currently racking her body.  
Kara saw the trembling and stepped forward, taking her older sister by the shoulders.  
“Alex, no matter what you are about to ask me, know that I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Got it?”  
Alex nodded, her lips twitching with a tiny smile.  
“Kara, I want to ask if you’ll donate some of your skin cells to start building Astra a body.”

The silence that followed was so profound and all-consuming that if a cotton ball had fallen from a height of two centimeters, it would have been heard loud and clear by all the residents of the room.  
“Wait, what? Hold up, hold up. You’re building Astra a body?”  
Alex nodded, her heart pounding in her ears, a living drum that was probably playing her march of disappointment, because that was most certainly how she would feel if Kara said no. It wasn’t just about the cells themselves; they could always use an actual donor. It was more a matter of Kara accepting them as a couple. If she did this, it meant she fully supported Alex in her decision and plan to love Astra and be with her forever.

Finally, Kara broke the silence. She let out a whoop so loud that the people all across National City might have heard it.  
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh My God!”  
The last exclamation was shouted out so loud that the glass on the coffee table shattered into a bunch of tiny, glittering shards.  
“Of course I will! Oh my God! My sister’s building a girlfriend! Wait, that sounded wrong!” Kara’s enthusiasm was palpable. In no time, Alex was dancing around the room while Astra blasted “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire through Kara’s surround sound speakers.

“Is there an appointment?” Kara asked, her smile infectious. Both women nodded their heads. “We decided on December 25,” Alex said happily, her smile as wide and exuberant as her sister’s.  
“That’s so cheesy, Alex,” Kara complained jokingly, swatting at the older Danvers, who deflected with the ease of long practice.  
“I don’t care,” she responded, her heart doing cartwheels in her chest.

 

“Are you going to tell Eliza?” Kara asked when all the excitement had worn down and the little group sat on the couch, the humans enjoying cold strawberry Fanta over ice, while Astra played chess online with another player in France and simultaneously checked Alex’s calendar and reminders and cleared out her notes app on her phone and added new notes and all of that. She couldn’t help but to think about the fact that she was going to be tangible very soon. She would get to truly be Alexandra’s partner.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard her girlfriend’s answer.  
“I want to. Do you think she’ll handle it too badly?” She asked, uncertainty plain to Astra in her voice.

Kara took Alex’s hand in a supportive gesture. “Look, Alex. Eliza hasn’t historically handled anything you do fabulously. Why does her opinion matter so much, anyway?”  
Alex nodded her head in acknowledgement of her sister’s words. “Thanks a million, Kara,” she said truthfully, hugging the younger woman tightly. Kara patted Alex’s back reassuringly. “It’ll be just fine,” she said soothingly.

Eliza stopped by to see her daughters for a couple of minutes before she had to go back to work.   
“How is everything?” She asked briskly as she removed her coat and laid it across the back of the chair she was sitting on.

Alex inhaled quickly then decided to just dive right in.  
“Mom, we’re in the process of building a body for Astra,” she said, a little too fast and a little too loud.   
All was quiet for a moment, then Alex received a quick pat on her shoulder.  
“It’s not what I would do, but I can’t stop you,” she said. “Be careful.”

Kara took her own calming breath.  
“Cat and I are getting married,” she announced to the whole room.  
“That’s great!” Alex and Astra cheered in unison, while Eliza looked shocked.  
“Cat Grant?” She asked, complete dismay the only thing on her face.

Kara nodded, looking a little anxious.  
Cat Grant was now a respected name, since her little project, the National City News, had gotten extremely huge. In the last month, the young woman had seen her little magazine take off, then she had finally achieved her dream of opening an actual magazine store kind of thing. It was like a combination library and bookstore, according to Cat. People could have coffee there and catch up with friends while buying Cat’s magazine, along with a bunch of other ones that Cat, along with Kara and their friends, James and Ray helped edit and publish. Everyone was reading it. Kara had no doubt that Cat would take over the news world and the media world in general very soon.

“That’s great, honey!” Eliza hugged her foster daughter tightly, kissing her cheek. None of them decided to comment on how unfair it was that Alex was treated so badly for doing something that Kara had not been so heavily criticized for, though Kara did give Eliza a scathing look behind the woman’s back.

Suddenly, Eliza’s phone rang, breaking the tension. She scurried with a quick apology and a kiss hurled at her daughters.  
Kara seethed as the door closed behind her.  
“It doesn’t matter,” she muttered, receiving a hug from Alex and a grin from Astra.  
“I like you, other Miss Danvers,” Astra said with a look at the young blonde.

Kara smiled. “I like you too, soon-to-be Mrs. Danvers,” she answered, her smile completely falling off her face with how big it was and all.

Kara went home after about a million games of Jeopardy with Alex and aStra. The two of them sat together, looking out the window and imagining their soon-to-be new life together.


	7. Starting Our New Lives Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Astra gets her body. Please enjoy. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be an epilogue, and then there might be some more one-shots or stories in this series. I really hope you are enjoying this.

Alex and Astra were nervous and excited all at once. The day had finally arrived. This was it. It was the day that Astra and Alex were scheduled to go in to the surgeon who would help build Astra’s new body. 

Alex’s heart was doing a tap routine when her partner woke her with the usual “Good morning, brave one.”

The young woman got out of bed and put in the earpiece, not wanting Astra to see the nervous look on her face.”All right, Alexandra. Let’s cut the crap, shall we?” She started in a no-nonsense tone. “We are both extremely nervous and completely jittery with excitement. I can see that very clearly, even if I weren’t an artificial intelligence. I love you and no matter what happens at this appointment, things will be just fine, Lex.”

The war vet felt her heart rate drop to normal and her breathing even out as Astra continued. She absolutely loved the effect Astra had on her.  
“All right, then,” she said, smiling and turning on the com, her heart flipping at the encouraging smile she was receiving. “There we are. Now, I am going to give you directions so you can focus on nothing but my sexy voice. Then, I am going to simulate holding your hand until I can actually do so. Hear me, Alexandra?”  
Astra said that last part in her general voice and Alex nodded, with a grin making her unable to speak coherently. “Yes, General,” she said in a brave voice.  
“That’s my Lex!” Astra cheered, making applause ring through the room through the speakers and making Alex laugh out loud.

“You’re crazy,” she said, still half-laughing as she shoveled food into her mouth.  
“Maybe. Or maybe you are crazy for being with me,” astra said mysteriously, making Alex shiver involuntarily, then swat at the com.  
“All jokes aside, I can’t believe you’re going to be real,” Alex said, her voice softening. Astra nodded, her eyes looking almost misty. “I am, dearest. Very soon, in fact. Let’s get going, shall we? Dr. Peralta’s office is twenty minutes away.”

Alex made quick work of cleaning up the solitary dish, that would soon be replaced by two dishes, then put on her coat.  
“Do you want a festive decoration or something for the com, General?” She asked, laughing because she knew Astra was not a fan of objects covering the lens.  
“Bite me, Lexie,” she answered without missing a beat, making Alex’s heart flip over again. She loved Astra and, now more than ever, she was convinced that she was doing the right thing.

Dr. Peralta was a guy in his mid thirties, with a gentle but mischievous look in his eyes. He smiled as they walked into the office.  
“You must be Alex and Astra,” he said, nodding. “Hi. I’m Jake and I will be changing your lives today.”

Alex grinned. He seemed very friendly.  
“Okay. Do you have any preferences for anything in general?” He asked, looking at Alex, then turning to the com respectfully.  
Alex nodded. “I just want her to resemble that image as closely as possible,” she requested, holding up the com.   
Jake examined it for a few moments. “Sure thing. Okay, so I just need your skin cell donor, and we’re all set.”

At that moment, Kara walked in with a huge smile on her face. “I’m here. I’m here. Am I too late?” She asked, her eyes bugging out.  
Alex suppressed a laugh. “No, Kara. You’re just in time,” she answered, hugging the younger woman tightly and sitting back down.

Jake smiled. “Hey, you’re her sister?” He asked, shooting Kara a blinding smile.  
“Yeah. Adopted. Kara Danvers,” she supplied, a little flustered.  
“smooth,” Cat, who was standing beside her, interjected.  
“Shut up, Cat,” Kara hissed under her breath.

Jake quickly worked on gathering the cells he needed, expertly bandaging Kara’s pinky finger after he was done.  
“That’s all you’re going to need?” Kara asked, in awe.   
The doctor nodded. “I’m going to replicate them,” he explained. “Then I’ll use the stem cells I’ve gathered to make Astra’s bones and organs and all.”

After twelve hours and millions fo steps paced by an anxious Alex all around Dr. Peralta’s office, everything was in place.  
“Hand Astra over to me, please,” Jake requested softly, holding his hand out to Alex.  
Fingers trembling, Alex handed over the USB, her heart thumping frantically and uneasily in her Chest. What if something went wrong? What if Astra was never truly real? What if she lost all her memories?

Jake was in a separate room. No one had seen the body and he had been in there for about fourteen hours now, counting the time it had taken to build the body itself.  
There was a scream and Alex was on her feet in an instant.

She ran over to the door and hurled it open. On a hospital bed, a woman with long hair and gray-green eyes lay on her back. The hair had a streak of white running through it.  
“Astra?” She squeaked, her voice at least six octaves higher than usual. Astra moved her head jerkily in her direction, her eyes narrowing.

“Alexandra?” She asked, her voice full and warm.  
Alex rushed to her, only to be held back.   
“Wait,” Jake said urgently. “She needs to rest and adjust.”

Alex nodded, taking a seat in the chair by the bed. “I’ll stay with her,” she said firmly, not giving the doctor a chance to argue.  
With a nod, the doctor left, his smile warm.

After twelve hours of rest, Astra opened her eyes fully. Alex gazed at her with o remorse whatsoever. She was beautiful, but it wasn’t just because she was gorgeous, though that was part of it. It was mostly because she was here, she was real and tangible and solid and Alex could hold her.

“Good morning, brave one,” she said huskily, her eyes shining with tears.  
Alex reached forward and finally grasped her partner’s hand in her own. Her skin was soft and warm and her eyes were focused directly on Alex.

“Welcome, Astra,” she said softly, too awed to speak loudly. Her heart was now doing the salsa and she couldn’t have been happier.

The couple went home together with smiles glued permanently to their faces. Alex did not let go of astra’s hand, even when they ate and showered, and even when they drifted off together in bed that night, warm against each other under the covers. Alex could feel every detail of Astra: her warmth, her shape, everything about her. She wanted to memorize it and never forget it.  
Astra turned over in the bed to face her girlfriend. “I can hear you thinking. Hell, the people in Metropolis can hear you thinking, Lex. It’s okay. I’m here now. I will admit I miss being connected to the whole world at once, but I love you so much and I’m going to get to marry you, and that far outweighs the consequences of our decision. Sure, I’m going to need help adjusting to this, but I love you and we will make it work. Hear me, Lex?”  
Alex reached up and wiped tears from her own eyes. Astra reached over and slapped her hand away. “None of that. I’m your partner. That’s my job,” she said tenderly, wiping her beloved’s eyes. Alex turned her head and buried it in Astra’s neck. They fell asleep like that, wrapped around each other and awaiting the start of their new lives together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoever can guess what show I was referencing with the doctor's name will receive ten points and a gift Drabble. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


	8. Epilogue: Five Years Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is revealed. Please enjoy. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this is it. The final chapter, the last ride, whatever you want to call it. I really appreciate all of you who stuck with this story from the very beginning to the very end. I really hope you enjoy this epilogue. This story is far from over, however. I am planning on writing a series of one-shots in this verse. If anyone would like to send prompts, just leave it in the comments and I will try my best to write them and credit you in the author's notes. Please enjoy. Okay, here we go!

Alex lay next to her partner in their queen-sized bed, just soaking up the silence and the early morning sunlight. The house was never truly quiet now, what with all the new additions to their little family and all, along with the frequent visits from their extended family.

Of course the peace was disrupted at that moment by two small bodies landing on her chest, and a third sprawling across her feet.  
“Wake up, Mama Alex, wake up, wake up, wake up!” Four-year-old Alura Jade chanted while her twin, Amy Marie poked Alex’s side to get her moving.  
The young woman grinned at her daughters’ attempt to wake her up.  
“Okay, okay, I’m up. You win,” she said, hugging them close.  
“Hey, buddy,” she said to the Corgi currently lying contentedly over her feet like a little blanket.  
Cheddar licked her left foot, turned over and fell back asleep. They tried to keep him in his little dog bed but it always backfired, mostly thanks to Astra, who was apparently a big softie.

Speaking of which, Alex’s partner, who was roused by all the noise, turned over with a grunt and buried her face in her pillow. Amy and Alura transferred all their energy from petting Cheddar to trying to wake Astra.  
“Come on, Mama Astra. You have to wake up now because Mama Lex is awake and you can’t do anything without Mama Lex,” Alura said in a reasonable tone.  
“Yeah, what she said,” Amy chimed in. She was usually just along for the ride when her sister planned something, though when she planned a scheme of her own it was bound to be epic.

Astra pretended to be asleep, just to see how far the girls were willing to go and Alex watched with complete amusement, waiting to see what would happen.  
Eventually, the girls had run through everything from breathing on Astra to poking her to shaking her to singing very loud. Finally, they resorted to something so unbelievable and random that Alex had to hold her lips closed with a finger so she wouldn’t laugh out loud.  
Amy held astra down while her twin leaned forward and proceeded to lick her mother’s cheek, very much like their dog did if you were too close.

Alex couldn’t do it. She could not hold in her laughter in any longer. She muffled it as Astra sat bolt upright and shot a glare at both of her daughters.  
“Amy Marie Danvers. Alura Jade Danvers. What in all the universe were you thinking?”  
The girls shrank back and dropped their heads.  
“Sorry, Mama Astra,” they said meekly, looking ashamed.

Astra patted both their heads and kissed them each on the cheek. “It’s all right. Now, May I have a kiss?””  
When they nodded and leaned forward, Astra licked them on their cheeks. “Revenge,” she said under her breath as they squealed and wiped their faces off on their sleeves, wearing identical looks of disgust.

It wasn’t low enough though because Alex sent her wife an affectionately exasperated look over the girls heads.  
“Sometimes I swear you’re their age, dear one,” she said quietly.  
Astra shot her partner a dirty look. “Shut up, Lexie,” she said teasingly, poking Alex in the ribs with a long finger. Alex blushed a little at the thought of where that finger had been last night.

“Make me, General,” she jabbed back, prodding Astra’s side and making her squeal.  
They’re little monsters,” Astra joked. “I blame you, my brave one.”  
Alex smiled. “They might be monsters, but they’re our monsters,” she answered.

“True.” The dirty look was replaced with a fond smile and then a tender expression as Astra gazed over at their daughters.  
Alex followed her wife’s stare and her face softened as she watched Amy and Ally play together on the floor with Cheddar, who had apparently decided they were a playground. The girls were giggling and squealing like crazy as the dog prowled around them and then fake pounced on them, growling playfully and waiting patiently as they took cover under their mothers’ bed before searching for them at a slow enough pace that they would have time to really hide.

It amazed Alex how good that dog was with their kids. Astra had been against the idea of having a pet, but with some convincing from Alex, she had grudgingly gotten on board. Alex couldn’t imagine Astra regretted it now.

The doorbell rang and there was a mad dash for the privilege to answer it.  
“I got it,” Amy exclaimed as she flung the door open to reveal Jake standing there with boxes galore in his arms and a bright, beaming smile on his face.  
“Hey, Ames,” he said warmly as he hugged the little girl tight. “Uncle Jake!” She exclaimed as she was lifted off her feet and held against his chest. She promptly pressed her face into his shoulder, making the doctor smile fondly.

Alura arrived at that moment and there herself at her uncle’s legs, making him laugh and pick her up too, setting her on his shoulders and running inside with her, making her shriek with delight.  
“I dizzy! Top it, Uncle Jake!” She panted out.  
“Gladly,” he said, bowing his head before promptly dropping her on the couch.

“Quit harassing my daughter and get over here, Peralta,” Alex called as she wandered over, a smile matching Jake’s on her face. After his help with building Astra, the young doctor had stayed in touch with the couple, and in no time, Alex had adopted him as her brother, which he had been more than fine with. The two of them were inseparable, and once Jake and Kara had met—well, holidays were never free of chaos when the Big Three, as Astra and eventually the whole family had come to call them, were together.  
“What’s up, Danvers?” He said by way of a greeting as he hugged her tight.

“Uncle Jake, Uncle Jake, We gonna make sugar cookies,” Amy announced cheerfully, a grin spreading over the young man’s face at his niece’s words.  
“Hey, that’s awesome, Moonbeam,” he said enthusiastically.  
Alex and Astra had needed to get dressed and take showers and have a few minutes to themselves, so by the time Jake and the girls were done making the cookies, the entire kitchen was a mess.  
“Yo, Peralta, how the hell did you guys manage to get batter and icing on the ceiling?” Alex asked, half-curious and half-exasperated but fully affectionate.  
“It takes practice, little sister,” he answered cheekily. The twins nodded in agreement.

“Oh my God, Jake, don’t be proud of that!” Alex exclaimed, glaring good-naturedly at him. “Girls, never agree with your Uncle Jake. He’s crazy.”

“I’m sorry, my husband can be a little immature,” a deep voice announced as the door opened to reveal a tall, dark-skinned man smiling with fond irritation at Jake, who blushed and then went over to hug him.  
“Alex, Astra, this is my husband, Captain Raymond Holt of the ninety-ninth precinct in Brooklyn. Or at least he used to be. Apparently, there’s a ninety-ninth precinct here too, so now he’s NCPD. He actually just beat the world record for being the only person to achieve the rank of captain in just a month.”  
Jake sounded proud. Alex smiled as she gave him a one-armed hug. “Welcome to the city, the family, and being our new boss,” she said with a smile.

Alex and Astra had just applied for and got accepted into the ninety-ninth precinct of the National City Police Department. Alex realized she still wanted to make a difference and she had gone back to school, along with Astra, who wanted to help preserve justice or whatever. Alex didn’t really remember her wife’s reason for wanting to be a cop. All she knew was that she and her dear one would get to work together.

The girls took to their newly discovered Uncle Ray quickly, throwing themselves into his lap as soon as the man had taken his seat. He grinned and leaned back, looking at Alex approvingly.  
“I really like this couch,” he said, his eyebrows arched in an impressed look.

The doorbell rang again and this time Alura was first on her feet, racing to the door with Cheddar hot on her heels.  
“Aunt Kara, Aunt Cat,” the amused adults heard before they saw Cat and Kara Danvers-Grant walking in with a girl on each hip and Kara stopping to ruffle Cheddar’s fur every ten seconds.  
“It’s been a while,” Kara said as she plopped herself down next to Alex.  
“What up, Peralta,” she said, trying to sound like a gangster and failing miserably, naturally.

“That’s a really bad gang impression,” he said. “Let me show you how it’s done, son.”  
With that, Jake got up and put his hands in the air.  
“Yo, sup, I’m Jake Peralta and I’m here to ruin all yo lives,” he said, making everyone crack up.  
“You are embarrassing yourself, Dr. Peralta,” Holt said with a tender smile.  
As Cheddar barked in what seemed to be agreement and Alex clasped Astra’s hand she couldn’t help but smile. Sure, things had been a little rough after the transition. Astra had needed some time to adjust and Alex had been afraid things would never get better, but they had. A year after Astra’s transition to human, they had discovered they were expecting. Alex had not stopped crying that day. Six months before that, they had gotten married in a small, intimate ceremony where Eliza had given Alex away and Jake had given Astra away and then officiated the marriage. When the girls had been a little over three, Kara and Cat had realized they were expecting as well. Now, Kara was battling nausea and wearing a permanent smile on her face that matched her wife’s perfectly. When Alex and Astra’s daughters had been two, Cat and Kara had gotten married, with sappy, wonderful speeches being made and alcohol flowing freely.  
As Alex continued to watch, she leaned against her beloved Astra and thought about how wonderfully different her life was from where it had been just five and a half years ago. She knew without a shadow of a doubt in her mind that she wouldn’t give it up or change it for the entire universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million points each to the person or people who can find all the references in this. Also, it's my headcannon that Alex and Astra watch Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Also, Eliza turned around. Yay for acceptance! I really hope you enjoyed this. I am planning on writing a work where either Alex or Astra is blind and the other is sighted and they fall in love. How many of you would be interested in that? Well, this is thee end. I really hope you enjoyed it. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)

**Author's Note:**

> Tell me in the comments if you have any guesses on what will happen in the next chapter. Please enjoy. Keep on living and keep on smiling. :)


End file.
